DW Technical Bulletin

To: DW® Customers

Date: November 30, 2023

Re: DW Spectrum Storage Adjustment Changes

DW Spectrum Storage Adjustments (Version 5.0+)

-----------------------------------

Affected Products: DW Spectrum IPVMS, DW Blackjack Servers

New Firmware Version: DW Spectrum v5.0 and newer

-----------------------------------

Storage Structure Changes

Following the update to DW Spectrum software version 5.0, the method by which recorded data is written and accessed has changed. From the standpoint of practicality, updating from outdated software version 4.2 (and older) to the newer version 5.0 (and newer) provides better stability. However, if for some reason you decide to downgrade to an outdated major version, recording and playback errors may be likely to occur.

This article will outline the changes and how they can affect user access to recordings.

Media Storage Location

The file path by which recorded archives are stored has been changed. The changes are as follows.

DW Spectrum Version 4.2 and Older

Windows:

Primary Stream – D:\DW Spectrum Media\hi_quality\\year\month\day\hour
Secondary Stream – D:\DW Spectrum Media\lo_quality\\year\month\day\hour

Linux:

Primary Stream – home1\DW Spectrum Media\hi-quality\\year\month\day\hour
Secondary Stream – home1\DW Spectrum Media\lo-quality\\year\month\day\hour

DW Spectrum Version 5.0 and Newer

DW Spectrum version 5.0 now include the server’s GUID.

Windows:

Primary Stream – D:\DW Spectrum Media\\hi_quality\\year\month\day\hour
Secondary Stream – D:\DW Spectrum Media\\lo_quality\\year\month\day\hour

Linux:

Primary Stream – home1\DW Spectrum Media\\hi-quality\\year\month\day\hour
Secondary Stream – home1\DW Spectrum Media\\lo-quality\\year\month\day\hour

Backwards Compatibility

DW Spectrum Servers that have been updated to software version 5.0 or newer have built-in backwards compatibility that will allow the server to access all of the files as written, including files with the newer structure (includes server GUID) and the older file structure (without server GUID).

There should be no problems with servers that have upgraded to software version 5.0 or higher accessing data that was written before upgrading (4.2 and older).

Downgrading Software Versions and Storage Issues

There may be certain scenarios where a DW Spectrum Server version must be downgraded from a newer software version, down to version 4.2. An example of this would be if a new server running DW Spectrum Server version 5.1 needs to be merged with an existing system that is using version 4.2. Rather than upgrading the outdated software version, the Owner is choosing to downgrade the new server so that it can be merged into the existing system.

If a server has video archives that were recorded while using DW Spectrum software version 5.0 or newer, and was then downgraded to version 4.2 or older, the system will be unable to read data that was recorded using the new archive storage structure which includes the server GUID. This means that a server with data recorded using version 5.0 (or newer) will not recognize the data properly and may encounter recording issues.

Solution for Downgraded DW Spectrum Servers

The only way to resolve the recording issue described above is with one of two options:

Option #1: Format the Storage Drives

Format the storage drives to free up all the space for the DW Spectrum Server. Please keep in mind that this action is effectively deleting the recorded video archives, but by doing so it will allow the DW Spectrum Server to record and retain information properly and uniformly.

Option #2: Manually Move the File Directories

Manually move the “hi_quality” and “lo_quality” file directory folders out from the GUID folder and into the base “DW Spectrum Media” folder directory.

Keep in mind that this option may be more problematic if there are preexisting folders containing data that already have hi-quality/lo-quality folders with file directories containing the exact same name. This method works best if there is no recorded data from previous versions on the server.

______________________________________________________________________________

For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support: https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

DW Sales: sales@digital-watchdog.com | www.digital-watchdog.com